Order fulfillment is the process from point of sales inquiry to delivery of a product to the customer. With the advent of ecommerce, many sales have moved online, and as a result, the nature of order fulfillment has generally moved from a more top-down distribution network oriented approach to direct-to-consumer logistics. Traditional distribution networks have generally moved product from manufacturers to local retail establishments through centralized distribution hubs. While some aspect of ecommerce certainly employ distribution networks as part of order fulfillment, direct-to-consumer logistics and parcel delivery is playing an increasingly significant role in the modern economy.
Regulation and commercial use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) (also referred to as drones in some cases) is at the forefront of future order fulfillment. Safety issues such as flight controller distractions, aircraft collisions, as well as privacy and insurance issues are a few of the issues that need to be addressed for wider commercial use of UAVs. While some issues may be remedied through purely regulatory means, other obstacles to commercial adoption of UAVs will be overcome based on technical advances that match UAV technology to real-world societal needs.